Once again, I don't own any of these wonderful characters…sniff…

A/N: Hahaha, you must think I'm evil leaving you guys on a cliffhanger, but the Force told me that it was the perfect place to end a chapter. Now, I know the second one was short, so I'll try to make this one longer to last enough till my next post. I have exams coming up in school, so don't freak out if I don't post. I'll get around to it and maybe treat you guys to a double post. We'll just have to wait and see. Anyway, onwards!

Chapter 3

Burning questions

Obi-Wan just wanted to lie in the darkness forever. Nothing could ever mend his broken heart, shattered soul and straining mind. But of course, his body wanted something else. Food. His stomach was aching, telling the boy that it was time to wake up from his sleep and go about his normal life.

"Then again what's a normal life?" mused Obi-Wan. If a normal life consisted of waking up after only five hours sleep to push his body beyond its' limits in the underwater mining tunnels then to just eat for ten minutes before being pushed into a brawl for the guards' entertainment, then forget it. He would rather stay in the darkness and let his body rot away. Lying on the cold floor of nothing, ignoring his hunger pains, Obi-Wan tried to recollect his thoughts. His life in the mines seemed like ages ago and the harsh reality of his dream still scorched his young mind. Did Obi-Wan catch a glimpse into the future? Or maybe he was experiencing a past event?

"Or maybe it was both."

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed in thought. That seemed right, felt right at least. But how was he supposed to distinguish past from future. And who was that Jedi Padawan? Obi-Wan didn't have to second-guess himself that the Jedi Master was Qui-Gon Jinn. So who was the boy that had won the heart of the stoic master? Tears began to sting Obi-Wan's eyes. What did that boy have that he didn't?

"It's a shame, Qui-Gon didn't see that or any of your other valuable traits before he left."

Xanatos' words were like a laser cutter. Did he really mean that Qui-Gon had left? Or was he just lying? Despair began to swell within Obi-Wan, but the boy quickly pushed it down. Despair lead to the Dark Side and he would…

Shivers ran down his spine. He had given into the Dark Side in his vision. Obi-Wan just had to close his eyes to see the girl's lifeless blue eyes stare up at him and the rage threatened to consume him once again. Well, if that was his future, to turn to the Dark Side, then he would choose death over life. At least he would be able to join the girl in the afterlife. Another question sprang to life. Who was the girl? Why was he so drawn to her? And why did he see himself in her? Shaking his head, Obi-Wan moaned at the confusion the vision or dream or whatever it was. Sometimes life was just unfair.

His eyes snapped opened and the despair and confusion disappeared when Obi-Wan felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Turning slowly to see who it was. A brief thought of hope that it might be the girl bounded through his mind. But when he looked up to see the face of the person, a bright light burned away his existence.

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes into slits to block out the bright light of the hospital ward. Taking in the dank smell and no so clean areas surrounding his bed, Obi-Wan's heart sank. He was still on the mining facility. And what was worse was that the hand on his shoulder belonged to a man that he didn't feel like seeing, especially that victory glee shimmering in those light blue eyes.

Xanatos smirked down at Obi-Wan, lifted his hand and moved to the foot of the bed, tucking his hands in the sleeves of his dark robe.

"Good to see you're amongst the living, brat. For a second there, you had me worried that I would have to send a body bag to Qui-Gon Jinn instead of a breathing person."

Obi-Wan growled in a horse voice, his throat extremely sore, "Well, sorry to disappoint you." Then catching the meaning behind Xanatos' last remark, he continued, "And so that you don't get your hopes up, I'm not going to kill Qui-Gon Jinn in the name of the Dark Side."

Xanatos allowed a little laugh, his eyes focusing upon Obi-Wan, "Somehow, I have a feeling your mind has other plans."

Obi-Wan stiffened in the bed. No! Xanatos had felt him draw upon the Dark Side, but how, it was just a dream!

"I must say I was surprised," continued the Dark Jedi, shifting slightly into a more comfortable position. "I'm about to wake you up for your next shift when the next thing I know, you're screaming your head off. You stopped and I was going to shake you awake when you screamed even louder and then…" Leaning over the foot post, Xanatos lowered his voice as if sharing a secret, "You gathered the Dark Side and forced pushed me away."

Pausing at this critical moment, Xanatos laughed inside at Obi-Wan's shocked face. "However, you muttered the word 'Remember' and started to convulse. Luckily I was there and brought you here to the medical ward. You were dead for a couple seconds. That's right, Obi-Wan, your heart wasn't pumping and your mind shut down. But something must have made you come back because your hearted starting pumping afterwards and here you are now, awake and alive. You've been sleeping for four hours." Straightening up now, Xanatos moved to sit on a chair next to Obi-Wan's bed, never taking his eyes off of the boy.

Even though he would never admit it, the boy had scared Xanatos. No Jedi or Force-user at that had ever experienced a dream so realistic. And the pure power of the blast which Obi-Wan unconsciously used against Xanatos made the Dark Jedi more wary around the boy. Who knew that Obi-Wan had such power? While the boy was asleep, he even ran another midi-cholrian test and the boy was at an average level. So was what Xanatos experienced up at the balcony a glimpse into the young boy's potential? Or was it something more…was it what he had hoped to find in the boy? Was his power coming from inheritance more than a random selection by the Force?

Whatever the answer was, Xanatos knew that he would have to be more cautious when speaking to Obi-Wan. Who knew what the boy saw? But, Xanatos knew that the vision was enough for the boy to almost commit suicide. That was when Xanatos gripped Obi-Wan's shoulder and beckoned Obi-Wan through the Force, with a touch of the Dark Side, to come back to the world. He was surprised that Obi-Wan responded to his call and now a small, fragile bond between the two was humming quietly in the back of his mind. "Now, if that bond grew stronger," thought Xanatos, another smirk tugging at his lips at the thought of having Obi-Wan as his apprentice.

"Thank you," whispered Obi-Wan after a while, staring down at the almost-clean white sheet. His face seemed so young, despite that the boy had lost weight during his ordeal and black circles were forming under pain-filled blue eyes. The last thing Obi-Wan remembered was walking behind Xanatos on the balcony. After hearing Xanatos say that Qui-Gon had maybe left, Obi-Wan felt such a conflict of emotions: betrayal, anger, despair, and confusion. So, when Xanatos told him to join him for a walk, Obi-Wan couldn't agree more. When he had lived in the Temple, Obi-Wan would walk through the gardens to calm his tormented mind. And walking up on the balcony with the fresh air blowing was the closest he could get to that serene atmosphere. After awhile, that calm aura had finally worked its' wonders and allowed Obi-Wan to fall into a deep sleep, before the dream came and changed his life.

"I will tell the guards to let you recuperate for awhile before sending you back to work. Maybe it is the stress of the mining or loss of hope that triggered the vision."

Xanatos voice was too calm for Obi-Wan and the pain that still throbbed in his chest turned into anger. "Or maybe it was you and being surrounded by the Dark Side," snapped back Obi-Wan in his mind. Once again, Obi-Wan slapped himself mentally at how easily he allowed anger to cloud his judgment. Heck, maybe Xanatos had used the Dark Side and made Obi-Wan experience that dream to make him fall faster. Obi-Wan frowned. He wouldn't be one bit surprised. That was how Xanatos operated, attacking his enemies when they least expect it in subdued manners. And that was what made him a dangerous enemy.

Still ignoring the hunger pangs, Obi-Wan's mind began to drift back to the comforting nothingness of sleep. Through blurry vision, Obi-Wan watched as Xanatos nodded knowing that their conversation was over and left the small room. Before sweet sleep totally claimed Obi-Wan's mind, the boy found himself asking aloud, "Remember. What do you mean? What do you mean, girl? Remember what?" With that asked, Obi-Wan's voice drifted away as he fell into a must-needed rest.

Only a couple of planets away, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn stood shaken before the doors that lead outside into the city. He had a felt a great disturbance in the Force and it was close. Closing his mind, Qui-Gon searched in his mind for the source of the disturbance. Whatever it was, he had sensed a touch of the Dark Side and that was never a good thing. It had to be Xanatos' doing, but then why did he kept thinking about Obi-Wan Kenobi? Something wasn't right.

Tell me Master Jinn, where's your Padawan?

Xanatos' last words disturbed the great Jedi deeply. Xanatos was planning something that dealt with Obi-Wan. Oh, he wished the rescue team would hurry up! His entire being was screaming to go back to Badamoor before something happened, something that would change the galaxy.

"Master Jinn? Is something wrong?"

Qui-Gon Jinn turned to regard the wounded Jedi Master and Padawan team. The two had been caught in a deadly crossfire and requested immediate backup. Qui-Gon was the only closest enough to aid the team and hence his hasty leaving from Xanatos. The Padawan coughed up more blood, internal bleeding evident. The Master focused his attention upon his student and used the Force to calm the boy's mind ignoring his own internal bleeding and injured arm and leg. Qui-Gon had been able to dig the two out of the debris left over from the explosion done to the senate building but now he feared that they would die soon. He would be grateful if the Padawan would make it. That was why he didn't want to take another Padawan. He didn't want to experience the pain of another Padawan death or betrayal.

"Well?"

"I sensed a disturbance in the Force. Did youfeel it also?"

"No. I didn't feel anything."

Qui-Gon nodded at this odd turn of events. Why was he the only one who had sensed the disturbance? Moaning mentally with frustration, Qui-Gon had the sudden urge to call Master Yoda and ask his advice. But no, first was rescuing the Jedi team and then and only then would he focus upon the disturbance. He just hoped it wouldn't be too late.

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A/N: Well there ya go! Will Qui-Gon be able to discover the disturbance and save Obi-Wan? Or will Xanatos take advantage of Obi-Wan's situation once again for his own dark purposes? Or will Obi-Wan get fed up and take things into his own hands? You'll just have to wait and see! Until next time!